The Golden Compass

Directed by: Chris Weitz
Screenplay by: Chris Weitz
Based on: Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman
Produced By: Bill Carraro, Deborah Forte
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Ian McKellen, Dakota Blue Richards
Music By: Alexandre Desplat
Production Company: New Line Cinema, Ingenious Film Partners, Scholastic Productions
Release dates: November 27, 2007 (London), December 5, 2007 (United Kingdom), December 7, 2007 (United States)

Plot: On an alternate retrofuturistic Earth ruled by the Magisterium, every person's soul exists outside the body as an animal companion, a dæmon.

Lyra Belacqua is an orphan raised at Jordan College in Oxford with her dæmon Pantalaimon or "Pan". Her uncle Lord Asriel returns from seeking the elusive Dust, a cosmic particle the Magisterium forbids to be mentioned. Lyra saves him from wine poisoned by a Magisterium agent, and Asriel presents his discovery that Dust at the North Pole links to infinite worlds. He is granted another expedition though his theory, if proven, could undermine the Magisterium's control.

Mrs. Coulter, a wealthy "friend" of the college, invites Lyra to stay with her in London. The Master of the college entrusts Lyra with her uncle's alethiometer, a compass-like artefact that reveals the truth, warning her to keep it secret. Kidnappers called "Gobblers" have been abducting children, including Lyra's friend Roger and Billy Costa, a young Gyptian. Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter is head of the General Oblation Board, realising they are the Gobblers, and she and Pan escape when Mrs. Coulter's dæmon attempts to steal the alethiometer.

Lyra is saved from Gobblers by Ma Costa, Billy's mother, and taken to the Gyptian king John Faa, who is sailing north to search for the children. Gyptian elder Farder Coram recognizes the alethiometer, which Lyra discovers she can decipher. In league with the Magisterium, Mrs. Coulter sends mechanical spy-flies after Lyra, but one is caught by Farder Coram. Asriel reaches Svalbard, the kingdom of the Ice Bears, but is captured by Samoyed tribesmen hired by Mrs. Coulter.

The witch queen Serafina Pekkala tells Lyra the children are at Bolvangar, and Lyra befriends Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby, who suggests she hire him and his friend Iorek Byrnison, an armoured bear he has come to rescue. Once a prince of the bears, Iorek was defeated and exiled, and the townspeople have tricked him out of his armour. Lyra uses the alethiometer to help Iorek recover his armour, and he and Scoresby join the Gyptian trek northward.

Review: The story is set in an alternate retrofuturistic Earth, were a powerful politicised church called the Magisterium strictly controls the populace's beliefs and teachings. In this world, every person's inner spirit partially exists outside the body. Where it manifested itself as an animal companion called a dæmon. The companion dæmon can communicate with the person though is bound to stay in close physical proximity. There is an exception to this law of nature where witches can have bird-shape dæmons that are able to travel long distances from the bodies of the human.

The stories primary protagonist is Lyra Belacqua, whose dæmon is named Pantalaimon or "Pan", Lyra is an orphan who is being raised at Jordan College in Oxford. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, is a noted explorer and scholar, who has been absent while seeking the elusive Dust, a cosmic particle that the Magisterium forbids to be mentioned. When her uncle Asriel returns to Oxford, Lyra saves his life after seeing a visiting Magisterium agent spike his wine with an unidentified poison.

The story takes a darker turn when Lyra meets the wealthy Mrs. Coulter, a "friend" and financial supporter of the college. Mrs. Coulter invites Lyra to stay with her in London. Prior leaving for London the Master of the college entrusts Lyra with her uncle's alethiometer, a compass-like artefact that reveals the truth (the titular golden compass). From this point onward the story is shadowed in intrigue and the machinations of the Magisterium. There are several bloody fights and fantastic events. Most of which will centre on both Lyra and the alethiometer.

It has been smentioned in other reviews that the authour Philip Pullman was never satisfies with the low level of violence in the movie. Personally I'm not sure more violence would have made the movie any better or worse. I am rather disappointed that there are no plans to make any more sequels to the movie.

Interesting movie to watch but not one for the younger viewers.

M J Flack